Closure



Feb. 9, 1937.

1.. G. SMITH 2,070,096

CLOSURE Filed June 19, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l 2,] men bo a ea/7 $52 M Feb. 9, 1937.

L. G. SMITH CLOSURE Filed June 19, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 9, 1937 iTED STATES ATNT OFFICE CWSURE lLeon G. Smith, Salt Lake City, Utah Application .Fune 19, 1935, Serial No. 27,284;

' 3 @laims.

My invention relates to closures and has for its object to provide a new and efficient sliding valve closure cap for collapsible tubes such as tooth paste tubes and which will be simple to operate and positive in its action.

A further object is to provide a closure for collapsible tubes which closure will be formed with a hollow neck adapted to be placed in the neck of the tube and be then locked therein to form the closure for the tube in fixed relation thereto at all times.

A still further object is to provide a closure which will be provided with a thin sliding valve with the valve carrying different sized and shaped openings therein so that the material being forced through the enclosure cap will be formed into the shape of the opening over the opening of the neck of the tube.

A still further object is to provide a tooth paste cap which will have a sliding valve therein to control the flow of material therefrom, which cap will have varied shapes and sizes of openings therethrough to form the tooth paste into any desired form so that it will be an easy task to teach children to brush their teeth by making a. game of it and each day changing the shape of the paste when it is delivered onto their brush.

A still further object is to provide a closure cap for other uses such as pastry decorations and bags to enable the person using the pastry decorator to change from one design to another without removing the usual forming cap and screwing another one in its place, as the sliding valve may be moved from end to end, any desired design being chosen.

These and other objects I accomplish with the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which similar numerals and letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views and as described in the specification forming a part of this application and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical diametrical section through the closure end of a collapsible tube with my device secured into the neck of the tube.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the tube and cap.

Figure 3 is a section on line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section of the closure valve plate.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the cap with the closure valve open.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the cap with the valve closed.

Figure 7 is a section diametrically and vertl ll of the cap,

cally through the cap with the valve plate removed.

Figure 8 is an end view of the cap with the valve plate removed.

Figure 9 is a side view of Figure 8. 5

Figure 10 is an inverted view of one type of the device in which the tubular body of the cap is formed hexagonal to fit into the neck of the tube to prevent any chance oi the cap turning.

Figure 11 is a plan view of the closure valve 1d showing difierent designs therein.

Figure 12 is a vertical section of a pastry tube with the cap in use thereon.

Figure 13 is a plan view oi. the closure cap and valve used in Figure 12.

Figure 14 is a side view of Figure 13 before being secured to the neck of the pastry tube.

Figure 15 is a side elevation of a modified form of cap showing the cap neck internally threaded to be screwed onto the end of a. pastry tube or tooth paste tube to take the place of the usual cap and provide the tube with many designs.

In the drawings in Figure 1 the collapsible tube is shown as A, with the closed end B, formed with I a hollow or cylindrical neck D. Into this neck I then secure my cap or closure 0. The closure C consists of a single piece of metal 5 formed in a die and cast to make a cylindrical neck piece 6 and an elongated head or top I with a rectangular slot t lengthwise of the top l to carry a slid- 3o ing valve 8. The neck 6 of the closure C has a slit up each end and where the single piece, of metal is joined together after being die-cast or formed with the slots sealed over as necessary and each side of the neck is provided with a slit 5 to allow the bottom of the neck to be swedged or expanded when placed within the neck D to lock the closure securely and rigidly to the tube. It is not absolutely necessary that the neck of the closure be made cylindrical for the inner bore may be perfectly round but the outside may be made hexagonal at l9 as shown in Figure 10 or any other form may be adopted for the outside of the neck to prevent it being rotated in the neck of the tube. This type of construction makes a two piece closure for the tubes having only the single piece for the top and neck and one sliding valve.

The port 9 through the valve is made to come into alignment with the port III in the top side and to be slidable over as shown in Figure 6 to completely close of! the port M. The slide valve 8 has each end turned down and curved on the same axis as the ends of the cap, one end thereof to fit thereagainst when moved edges of the slide valve 8 in that direction by the operator, leaving no ragged protruding edges to catch the clothing or fingers when used.

The cap C is made with the two half cylinders 8a. and 8b to form the cylindrical neck 0, and the top ll of the cap is turned down at I! to lit the and then turned out and bent back upon themselves at It to merge with the half cylinders 80 and 8b. The width of the cap is just suflicient to enclose the sliding valve, and in some cases the cap need not be bent back upon itself but may be merely turned down as shown in the style 0! caps shown in Figures 13 to 15 inclusive.

The bottom of the cylindrical neck. 8 does not have to be slotted but, may be made solid and the lower end swedged outwardly by sumcient pressure and some heat may be applied thereto if necessary.-

In Figure 11, different shaped ports ll therethrough through which the paste may be forced, the paste to take the form of the port.

In the representation shown in Figure 12, a pastry tube or cylinder is shown as R with the piston P carried therein to force the material through the closed and IS. The cap is formed as shown in the other figures or as shown in Figures 13 to 15 with the longitudinal slot I1 therethrough in which the sliding valve I8 is carried and the port 2| through the top of the cap is made to allow the material passage therethrough.

The sliding valve Vshown in-this figure is made of greater length than that of the valve 0 and dlfierent shaped openings or ports 20 are formed therethrough as shown in Figures 11 and 13.

In Figure 15 the cap neck 23 is formed larger and internally threaded at 24 to be screwed onto the usual threads on a collapsible tube or onto the usual threads on a pastry tube.

In the manufacturing of the tubes and placing the closures therein the cap is fitted down into the neck of the tube and the lower end swedged outwardly to form a lapping flange which holds the cap into the neck of the tube in fixed and firm relation therewith and, as shown in Figure 10, the outside edges of the cylinder neck the slide valve 8 is made with 6 may be made in irregular form to insure that no turning can take place.

Having thus described my invention I desire to secure by Letters Patent and claim:

1. In a collapsible tube cap, the combination oi a single piece of metal formed into semicylindrical neck sections formed together into a neck and a connecting fiap piece of metal bent to form the top and bottom of a rectangular slot transversely of the axis of said neck portion at the outer end thereof when assembled in the open neck of a collapsible tube; and a single-piece closure valve slidably mounted in said slot to close ofl the port through the top fiat piece of the cap.

2. In a collapsible tube and closure cap therefor, the combination of a cylindrical neck portion having a transversely disposed flat head portion formed on the-top end thereof having a central opening through said head, with a thin slot through the head portion at right angles to the bore of the neck portion, said slot being near the width of the head portion; a thin sliding valve carried in said slot slidably mounted in said head with an opening through said sliding valve to control the opening through said head; and a collapsible tube having a small cylindrical neck into which said cylindrical neck portion is inserted with the ends swedged outwardly onto the edges of the neck to lock the cap into the tube.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a material handling tube having a small neck for discharge from the tube; a controlled closure for said tube comprising a cy lindrical neck portion inserted into said small neck, means on the inner end whereby the closure is locked into the neck, a transverse head formed onto the top end of said neck extending outwardly around the top of the neck to insure a good seal between the neck of the tube and the neck of the closure with a transverse slot through said head and a central opening through said head through which discharge materials may pass, and a sliding valve carried in said transverse slot to be moved in said slot with an opening through said sliding valve to control the flow of material from said tube.

. LEON G. SMITH. 

